
Qass. 
Book- 






37 

I 



THE DUTY OF 



Union in a juft War, 



DISCOURSE, 



DELIVERED IM 



SfONEHJM, (MJSSJ JprilS, 1815- 



BEING 



THE DAY OF THE STATEr! 



J^y JOHN H. STEVENSy V. D. M. 
Paftor of the Church in faid Town. 



FUBLISHiD BY DESIRE OF THE HEARERS. 



AUBURN,. 

CATVGA COUNTr, 
1814. 



h 






r )' 'F^^imaamm^nammKm^Kfi^KKmmmmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmmmmmmmrmgggggggf^ .jiwii.» 



DISCOURSE. 



5K 



mmmmmmm. 



JUDGES, r. 23. 

Curfe ye, Meroz, faid the Angel of the Lord; curfe ye bitterly the in- 
habitants thereof; becaufe they came not to the help of the Lord, to 
the help of the Lord agiiinll the mighty. 

ALL Scripture is given by infpiration of God, and is 
profitable for dodrine, for reproof, for corrcdioii, (or ia- 
ftrudion in righteoufnefs. 

The paflage 1 firft read, wc find recorded in the fong 
C(^mpofed by Deborah, an infpired prophctefs, and judge 
injllrael. She compofed and fung this fong in confe- 
qiience of a fignal victory gained over the enemies of If- 
ralei, in riaie of war; a war in which God himfelf had 
Cf^mmandcd them to engage in, for the defence of their 
rilghts, liberties and biclfings. 

Ifraei, for whom God had done great thing;;, finned 
wich a high hand againft him; and to puniih them for 
their idolatry and wickednefs, the Lord fuffered Jabin, a 
powerful king of Canaan, to opprefs them and bring them 
into bondage, and afflid them twenty years. This hum- 
bled them, and they cried unto the Lord, and he directed 
Deborah to call upon Barak to colledt an army, and march 
againft the army of Jabin, commanded by Sifera, and the 
Lord promifed to deliver them into his hand. When the 
requifiiion for men was made, fome of the governors of- 
fered themfelvcs and the people willingly; others held 
back and rcfufcd their aid; however, Deborah, the pro- 
phetefs, and Barak, the general, with his little army^ 
rrmrched, and attacked the mighty hoft of their cnemichj^ 
and overthrew thcm^ and fo delivered their nation Irooi 



4 

©pprefiion: for the Lord was with them, and fought for 
Ifrael againft their enemies. This one battle was To de- 
cifive that it put an end to the war, and the land had reft 
forty years. Deborah and Barak celebrated this vidory 
in a divine fong, in which they call upon kings, and all 
people to confider what wonderful things God had done 
for Ifrael. They defcribe the fin and mifcry of the na- 
tion; they render praifc to God; they give commenda- 
tion to feme of the Ifraelitcs, and pafs cenfures on others, 
fe'fpecially the inhabitants of Meroz, mentioned in the 
text : Curfeyey MeroZy /aid the angel of the Lord, curje ye 
bitterly the inhabitants thereof -^ becaujs they came not to the 
helf) of the Lord, to the help cf the Lord agaivfi the migh-^ 

This paiTc]ge of fcripture contains the following general 
tnitlis: — 

i . One nation may be fo opprefTed by another, that 
it may be the wiii of the Lord for them to take up arms, 
and go to war with their opprefiors. 

1!. \v\ fucha cafe, it is the duty of the whole nation t^> 
unite againft the common enemy. \ 

3. If any part of t\\^ nation, in thefe circumRancesl, 
withhold their aid and help from their own nation, and 
fide wifh the enemy, it is highly difpleafing to God.-^-j.,^ 
This was the condu(!^ of the inhabitants of Meroz, ancjl 
the angel of the Lord ordered them to be curfed with ai 
bufer curfe. 

4. A nation engaged in a jufl: war, a war for the de- j^ 
fence of their jufl rights; a war that God approves; fuch W^ 
a war God confiders as his own caufc, and to help in fuch 

a caufe is to come to the help of the Lord; and if the na- 
tion, in thefe circumftances, humble themfelves for their 
fins, and cry unto the Lord, he will be with them, and 
whatever difficulties may be in the way, however power- 
ful the enemy may be, if they have nine hundred chariots 
of war, or a thoufand (hips of war, yet the Lord will give 
victory to the opprefled, who humbly truft in him. 

In order to iilultratc and make application of this fub- 
jed, for our benefit on this occafion, I Ihall confidcr the 
fimilarky between t4ie character and condud of Ifrael, and 



that of our own nation; and the fimilarity of God's deal- 
ings towards Ifrael, and that of our nation. 

I , W hat great things the Lord did for Ifracl, in bring- 
ino- them out of bondage into Egypt, conduding them to 
Canaan, calling out the heathen and planting them in the 
good land. llVael, the feed of Abraham, God*s friend, 
were enflavcd in Egypt; Pharaoh, a cruel tyrant, op- 
preflfd rbem, »nd let tafk-mafters over them, and made 
them ferve with rigor, and prevented their worihipping 
God agreeably to the dilates of their own conlcienccs. 
They cried unto the Lord in their diRrefs, and he heard 
them, and fent Mofcs to deliver them. God wrought 
wonders in Egypt by the hand of Mofes; and at length 
he brought his people out, and led them on to the Red 
Sea, which the Lord divided, and led them through on 
dry (ground: their enemies attempting to follow were 
fwepraway by the returning billows. He led them in the 
\\ildernefs forty years, wich a pillar of cloud by day, and a 
riillar of fire by night. He wrought many wonderful 
rkiracles on their behalf, and at lal> divided Jordan, and 
I* Id them over into Canaan. And ^^hcn r.he hear hen ccm- 
Vjined againft them, the Lord fought for them, and gave 
them the vi(51:ory, and fettled thcro quietly in that good 
nnd, flowing as with milk and honey, and they fpread 
aS^ro.d, and became a great nation. 

"^ What a pidure this exhibits of the great and marvel- 

Icjus things God has done for our nation. Our fathers 

wWe in bondage in England, affiicled wi:h the hard hand 

of tyranny and'oppreffion: they were pcrfecuted, oppreii- 

cd and profciibed, and notfulTered the free enjoyment of 

their holy religion. They werelopprcffed wich enorm<;US 

taxes, were profccuted, impiifoned and fined, for v/or- 

fnipping God agreeably to the didtates of their own con- 

fcicnce."^ They cried unto the Lord in their dillrefs, and 

he heard dicm, and put it into their hearts to emigrate 

from their native country, to this then howUng wildcr- 

refs. The Lord took our fathers under his protection, 

ard brought rhem acrofs the wide ocean, and planted 

them in this American land; and when the heathen, who 

were numerous, Cv^mbined againft them, the Lord was on 

A 2 



their fide. He weakened and dcftroyed the enemy by 
pedilencc, and in various ways, and gave our fathers vic- 
tory; he caufed them to take root, increafc aed ipread 
abroad in this land; he bleffed them in their bafket and 
ftore, and raifed them up to a great people. And when 
the mother country faw their profperity, Ihe envied them, 
and fought to opprefs them here as fhc had done at home; 
fhe fent over her fleets and her armies to enforce her un- 
juft mandates. Our fathers, trulting in the Lord, took up 
arms, determined to defend thtir rights; and the God of 
armies was wich them, and defeated the enemy, and led 
them on to vidlory, independence, and a rank among the 
nationsof the earth. The Lord has, fmce that period^ 
greatly blefied and profpered this nation, and favored us 
with every temporal and fpiritual, civil and religious pri- 
vilege; he has caufed us to become a great, rich, and pow- 
erful nation. God has done great and marvellous things 
for us as a people. 

2. After God had done fuch great things for Ifrael, ar^d 
had fettled them in the good land of Canaan in pcac^, 
where they enjoyed his word and ordinances, and cvel/ 
blefllng, we friOiild have fuppofed they would have fo; 
faken all other Gods, and feared, worfhipped and fcrvtr 
the Lord Jeh<^vah with all the heart. But infbcad of *J^is 
they finned againft him; they for fook the rock of tllS it 
falvation, and went after ftrange Gods and worfliippe 
them, as it is faid in ^our coniext — ^hey choje them fiez^ 
Gcds, and did evilin ihe fight of the Lord,^ 

And has not our aaiiony in this particular, done as Ifrael 
did, forfaken Gvd, and done great evil in his fight? 
When vye conhder what great things God has done our 
nation, in planting it in this good land, increafing and 
proujering it, and v. hen its enemies rofe up, and came in 
like a flood, the Lord lifted up a Randard, and arrefte 
their progrefb, and gave us victory, gave us peace, and! 
tilabiifhed us a nation, and blcHed us on every hand, and ' 
gave us his wnrd, his fabbath, his gofpcl and orcUnanceSa 
Vv hen we confidcr how much God has done for u««, might 
it not have b^cn expeded that we (hould have been an 
cbfditnt people; that we fhuuld have choien God (ot 



eur portion, and feared, loved, and ferved him, wlrh ill 
the heart ; that our enquiry v/ouid have been, IVbat Jhall 
we render unto the Lord for alibis benefits unto us as a peo- 
ple ? But of this humble, pious, obedient, holy condudb, 
we have, Jefhurun like, waxed fat., and kicked againji the 
Lord', we have, as a people, forfaken the Lord God of 
our forefathers, and lightly eilimated the rock of our fal- 
vation. Like Ifrael, we have done great evil in the fighc 
of the Lord, and provoked the Holy One to anger. All 
kinds of iniquity have abounded in this nation, and been 
crying to heaven for vengeanee. We have been un- 
grateful to God, the giver of all our mercies : we have 
been ungrateful for our health and {^rength i ungrateful 
for our food and raiment ; ungrateful for our civil and 
religious liberty; ungrateful for peace that we have en- 
joyed fo long; ungrateful for the fabbath, the gofpel and 
its ordinances; ungraceful for Jefus Chrii^ and his crrcac 
faivation ; ungrateful for the Holy Spirit and his graci- 
cious influence in the converfion of fumers. 

Fiide is a fin which has greatly prevailed in this na- 
tion. We have been lifted up with pride; we have 
been proud of our independence; proud of our liberty; 
proud of o!ir conlHcutions of g jV':rnraent; proud of 
our rulers, our numbers and weakh. Some have been 
proud of their religion, and others of their wickednefs, 
glorying in their Ihame. Fride is a hateful, dangerous 
fin. Pride goes before defiru^ioUy and a haughty fpirit be- 
fore a fall, God is [aid to know the proud afar ojf] to hate 
p'ide-y and he has laid be will (lain the pride efatlflejjj. 

Profanenefs is another awful fin in our land. We 
have become a profane nation : thoufands and thoufandjs 
every day, bhfphcming the holy name of God, uttering 
horrid oaths and imprecations upon themielves and 
others. All ages and lexes are ucteang this profane lan- 
guag.e ; even ittilc children, curfing and fwearing, and 
taking the h. ly and reverend names o\ God and Cijrilt in 
vain. Thou frjalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in 
"jaihy is ihc divine command : by reafm of iwearin?' the land 
mcurtteth^ and the pestfaii folates of ihe zviicliniefs are dried 



■'h 



8 

Intemperance Is another prevalent fin in this nation i 
the intemperate ufe of fpirituous liquors has become aw- 
fully alarming. It is thought by fome> that ardent fpirirs 
confumtd in this nation, cofi: more than to maintain go- 
vernment. Many arc given up to intoxication, fpending 
their property, deflroying their health, bringing diame 
and poverty upon their families, and fitting their fouls for 
perdition. This vice leads on to many others, fuch as 
idlenefs, gaming, lewdnefs, and the like. This fin has 
becorne lo prevalent and alarming, that ferious people 
through the (late and nation, are uniting together and 
forming focieties for the exprcfs purpofe of fuppreffing 
ic. 

Falfehood is another great fin, which incrcafes the 
guilt of this nation. A lying fpirit has taken pofieflion 
of the hearts of many. What falfehoods are uttered by 
many to cover their own wickednefs ; to deceive and 
cheat their fellow -men in their dealings, and to injure the 
charader of men both in an out of office ; How arc our 
public prints, which ought to be vehicles of truth, turn- 
ed into channels of falfehood and mifreprefcntation ? 

Gaming and vain amufements are prevailing fins which 
many live in, and many profefled Chriftians too, to the 
difhonor of God and difgrace of religi-m. Sabbath- 
breaking is another great fin in our land j how is the 
Lord's day vi<)lated, and turned by many into a holiday 
for feafting, and drinking and vificing, and riding abroad, 
and doing worldly bufinefs ? God faid to Ifraei, If ye wilt 
not hearken unto me to hallow the Jahhath day^ and not to 
hear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerujalemy en 
thejabbath day^ then will I kindle afire in the gates thereof y 
and it Jh all devour the palaces of Jerufalemj and it fo all not 
he quenched, 

Levvdnels, perjury, and opprefTion, are great fins in this 
land. Divifion, ilrife, and contention, are abounding fins, 
which threaten the rijin of our nation, for the Lord has 
laid J a kingdom divided againft itjelf cannot ft and. An in- 
ordinate thirlt for property and love of money, is to be 
found am-.^ng the previiiling fins in this nation. We are 
told in the word uf Gud, Jhe love of money is the root of 



all evil. Perhaps there never was a nation that mani- 
fefled greater love of money, and zeal to acquire wealth, 
than this nation has for many years. It has been fpoken 
of by other nations, what lovers of money Americans 
were ! Many have made a God of wealth and worfhipped 
Mammon. It is owing to this .cupidity in many, that 
the noble flame of pp-triotifm. that burnt in the hearts of 
their fathers, is quenched in them, and they are difpofed 
to fupply the enemy for the fake of gain. Idolatry has 
been no'fmall fm in this land; we have fet up idols in our 
heart and worfhipped them. Theft, robbery, and mur- 
der are great fins, which not a few in this nation have 
been concerned in perpetrating. The Lord faid to I fracl. 
Will a man rob God ? 2>/ ye have robbed me, even this 
whole nation. This has been our criminal condu6t ; we 
have robbed God of that love, homage, praife, and ado- 
radon, which was his due, and our duty to render. Ma- 
ny great and awful errors have been euibraced by many 
in this nation, fuch as Arminianifm, Antinomianiim, So- 
cinianifm, Univeifalifm, Deifm, and Atheifm.^ Jefus 
ChriR-, the eternal fon of God, has been called an impoll- 
or; the bible has been ridiculed as prieftcvaft and delulion i 
experimental religion has been denounced as enthufiafm, 
and the work of the fpirit of God afcribed to Satan by 
many. A preached gofpel and holy ordinances have 
been dcfpifed and negledted, and oppofition to God, to 
Chrift, and his wholly kingdom, has greatly abounded in 
this nation. O 1 what a finful people we have been ; 
what evil we have done in the fight of the Lord, to pro- 
voke him to anger, and to pull down judgements upon us, 
as it is at this time! Our fins have been the primary 
caufe of all our fufFerings, and our calamity at tlie prcfent 
day; I fear and deprecate them more than all the ene- 
mies that have, or can come -againfl us, 

S, God was angry with Ifraei for their idolatry, ingrari- 
tude, profanenefs and wickednefs, and to punifa them he 
fold them into the hands of Jabin, a powerful king of 
Canaan, as appears from our context. Jabin was a great 
king in thofc days -, he had nine hundred chariots of iron 

A iil 



10 

for war, and his army was equal. It is written, twenty 
years he naightily opprefled the children oflfraelj hedif- 
armed rhem and made them tributary j he had his fol- 
diers ftationed through the land, and by the highwaysj 
and their opprelTions were fuch, that it is faid by Deborah 
in her fong, That the villages were dejerted by the inhabit^ 
a?2ts ', the highways were unoccupiedy and the travellers 
walked through bye-ways, to avoid the enemy. When 
even the women went out to draw water, their archers 
would wantonly flioot their arrows at them. Thus the 
Lord for twenty years fuffcred this tyrant Jabin to opprefs 
Ifracl, to punifh them for their wickednefs, to humble 
them, to caufe ihem to feel cheir dependance upon him. 
Now the Lord has been treating our nation in the fame 
way, and for the fame reafons. To punifli us for our 
many and great fins againlt the Lord, he has fufTercd the 
king of England, for about twenty years mightily to op- 
prefs us. It is about twenty years (ince England began 
to imprcfs our feamen and take our vefl'eis, under one 
pretext or another, and infult us and make depredations 
upon us ; and there is no doubt we have been plundered 
of vaftly more property, and fufFered more perfonal in- 
jury, in the courle of twenty years, from the king of 
England and his nation, than Ifrael did in the fame time 
from Jabin and his nation. Jabin was a powerful king; 
he had nine hundred chariots of iron. George the ^d 
has been a powerful king ; he has had a thoufand (hips of 
war, and by them he has commanded the ocean, and 
claimed it as his property; by them he has plundered the 
nations, flaughtered thoufands and tens of thoufands, re- 
duced cities to afhes, and fpread death and defolation far 
and wide. With his thoufand fhips he has committed 
every outrage and cruelty, and robbery, and murder, 
man-ilealing and depredation, that the moft barbarous 
nations have been guilty of England has taken from 
us^, in time of peace, without any juft provocation, about 
a thoufand vellels, wiih their rich cargoes, carried them 
into her own ports, condemned and loid them, and put 
the money into her own coffers, to the amount of many 
miilions of dollars. All this we have borne without re- 



i I 

fitlancc for m?iny years. We have complained and re- 
moniUated, and pkad with them by negociation, to ccafe 
their plundering and takir;g our veiltis, and do us juilicc. 
They have amufed us with fair words, but continued the 
pradice. Can the annals of hiftory furnilh an inftance, 
where a nation at peace with another nation, and without 
giving any juft caule of offence, has been plundered to 
the amount our nation has ? Not one, I prefume. There 
never was, and I trull there never will be, fuch a cafe 
while man inhabits the earth. 

But this opprcffion, great and long as it has been, is 
not to be compared to another we have endured; that is, 
imprefling, holding in cruel bondage, Ilarving, whipping, 
and fometimcs putting to death our native citizens, who 
are fcamen. For twenty years they have continued the 
pradice of imprefling our fcamen out of our merchant 
velTels, aboard their fliips of war; this I confider to be 
manftealing, which the word of God ranks among the 
greateft crimes. It is impoffible to afcertain the cxaft 
number they have imprefled; but from the public docu- 
ments I have feen, from the numbers found aboard their 
fhips we have taken, and the ftatement of their own muf- 
ter books, which have fallen into our hands, from the 
bcft information I have been able to obtain on this fub- 
jc61, it is my opinion chat in the courfe of twenty years, 
Great Britain has imprelTed more than twenty thoujand of 
our fcamen, multirudes of whom were native-born A- 
mcricans. Thus the hufband has been torn from his be- 
loved wife and children; the fon from his parents, his 
brothers and fillers; the citizen from his home, and na- 
tive land, and been wafted to diftant climes, and held in 
cruel bondage, one, five, ten, and eighteen years. To 
hear the (latement of fome, under oath, who have lived to 
return, defcribing their fuffcring, is enough to fill the foul 
with horror. Some depofe and fay, when they were im- 
prefled becaufe they would not enter, they have been put 
in irons, kept on bread and water, and whipped a dozen 
lafhes every week, until wore down by hunger and 
fcourging, they were forced to enter. One depofed, 
that after he was imprciTed, he attempted to efcape; was 



12 

retaken, carried back, and whipped fixty lafhes, and 
then imnierfed in cold water one hour. This is the way 
our native citizens have been tortured aboard of their 
floating badiles. Who that has American blood running 
in his veins, can hear of thefe cruelties infiided upon our 
own citizens without indignation? Yet we are told by 
fome, that this is a fmall affair, not worth contending for 
a moment i but let fuch unfeeling fouls be placed under 
the difcipiine of a Britifh man-of-war, for one year, and 
they would no longer fpeak with fo much apathy about 
the fufferings of our feafaring brethren. 

England has come into our waters with her fliips, fired 
upon our citizens, and killed them. She has fent fpies 
among us to ftir up divifion, withdraw the people from 
their governments and difmember the union; (he has 
armed and excited the barbarian of the wildernefs to make 
war upon us, lay walle our frontiers, to butcher and fcalp 
men, women, and children ; and the fcalp, reeking in 
blood, I have underftood they have been in the habit of 
purchafing at fix dollars a piece. But am I ftating the 
horrid conduct of a Chriftian nation, or that of Turks 
and Arabs ? Yes, that of a Chriftian nation. I have 
been noticing fome of thofe evils and opprciTion we have 
been fuffering from that government which has been 
fly led, " The bulwark of our rcIigicH, and the world's lai 
hope,'' But from fuch a bulwark, may the Lord in mercy 
fave us and our pofterity. 

However pious and godly many of the people in Eng- 
land may be, and I believe God has many dear children 
there, who are groaning under the opprefTion of their ru- 
lers; yet I do believe, in my heart, that there is not a 
more corrupt and wicked government on earth than the 
Britifh government. They have, in my opinion, caufed 
more v/ars, bloodfhed, mifery, and defolation in the earth 
than any other government. I believe they have been 
the caufeof moft of the wars Napoleon has been engaged 
in, which have caufed rivers of blood to flow. No doubt 
they were the caufe of the late war between France and 
Rijflla, which the laft year fwept (probably) three hun- 
dred thoufand fouls. into eternity. 1 believe the blood 



1 



<*. 



6f millions is crying to heaven for vengeance upon this 
corruDt government J and undoubtedly the tioie is not 
far di'dant, when the Lord in his anger will overturn it, 
and in anfwer to the prayers of the good people of Eng- 
land, blefs them wirh a better government. The crucU 
ties which have been perpetrated by this government, on 
her own fubjeds in England and Ireland; on the Danes, 
and in many parts of Europe; in the Eaft and Weft In* 
dies; in Africa and America, are enough to aftonifh 
heaven and earth, were they fully known; but enough i» 
known to fill the foul with horror ! ^ 

What wanton waftc of property did they caufe in this 
land, in the former war 1 Falmouth, Charleftown, Dan- 
bury and many other fine towns, were wantonly burnt to 
afhes. But this was nothing compared to the /avagc 
cruelties committed on our poor prifoners that the for* 
tune of war put in their power. More than eleven thou- 
fand, it has been faid, were poifoned, ftarved, and by 
other cruel treatment, deftroyed aboard their piifon fhips 
at New York. And William Cunningham, who was 
provoftmarihal to the royal army at New- York, (after- ^ 
wards executed for forgery) confefTed before his cxecu- 
tion, th^twitb, and without the orders of his government, 
more than twothoufand American prifoners he had ilarv- 
ed to death in the different churches of New- York, where 
they were coniined ; and that he had caufed two hundred 
and feventy-five to be hung in the dead of the night, and 
buried 1 Give ear, O heavens ! and be aflonifhed, O 
earth I This v/as the way our poor fathers and brethren 
were facrificed by this government and its agents jn the 
lad war; and they have begun the fame horrid pradicc 
again the prefent war. They allow their favage allies to 
murder and fcalp our poor wounded prifoners, and then 
leave them unburied for the fwine to feed upon, as was 
the cafe at the river Raifin; and all this, too, in violation 
of folemn articles of capitulation. Other prifoners they 
have Ihutup in infcded jails and prilbn-ihips, and kepc 
them on rotten, damaged provifions, undl difcafe has 
ended their days. But mv heart iickens, and my nerves 

' B 



14 

trcmolc, in the recital of thefc barbarities and cruelties 
which we have fufFcred from this nation. Now fay tny 
hearers ; fay an impartial world, have we not caufe of 
war with this nation ? Is not the war in which wc arc en- 
gaged juft ? and may we not believe a God of jufticc 
approves ofit ? 

4. Ifrael was fo oppreflcd by Jabin, and had borne his 
tyranny fo long, even twenty years, that it was the will 
of the Lord that they fhould take up arms, and go to v/ar 
and fight their opp re (Tors: And the Lord revealed his 
mind and will to Deborah, a prophctcfs. The people 
cried unto the Lord in their diftrefs, and he heard them ; 
he faw that they had borne the oppreflion of this haughty 
tyrant long enough without refinance ; hence he diredl- 
cd Deborah to call for Barak, and order him to colledt 
an army and fight their oppreflbrf. Here is one inftance, 
among many others, recorded in the bible, where it was 
the will of God for a nation to go to war with their op» 
prcflbrs for the defence of their juft rights j and I as fully 
believe that it is the will of the Lord God of our fore- 
fathers, that our nation fhould take up arms aud go ta 
war with Britain, our opprefTor* For aught I can fee, 
as great caufes exifted in our cafe as did in Ifrael's. 
They had been opprelTed for a long time, even twenty 
years; fo have we. Their opprefTors were powerful ; 
they kad nine hundred chariots of war. Our opprefTors 
are powerful j they have a thoufand fhips of war^ Ifrael 
had been robbed and plundered, and their pcrfons cn- 
flaved. We have been plundered of millions, and many 
of oi;r citizens enflaved. Their efTential rights were af- 
failed i fo are ours. They undoubtedly rcmonftrated 
againfl the condu<5t of their opprefTors ; wc have done 
the fame. We have rcmonftratcd, negociated, implored, 
and increatedour opprefTors to ceafc their depredations, 
leave off imprefTmg, abufing and enflaving our citizen 
feameni but all to no purpofe. Now, if we have been 
opprcffed as long as Ifrael was ; if we have been plunder- 
ed as much as they were; if we have been enflaved, and 
the perfons of our citizens injured as much as they were ; 
if we have given the enemy no juft caufc to opprefs and 



15 

injs!ir€ us ; \t wc have i ought for years, in the mofl fair 
and honed way, to obtain rcdrefs of our grievances in ^ 
peaceable way, why is it not juft and right for us now to 
draw the fword, and defend our right ? And have J we not 
evidence that it is the will of God ? and that he approves 
of the war in which we are now engaged againil Great 
Britain— -I believe we have. 

In this age of the church and the v;orld, we tre not to 
- cxpe£t the Lord to make known his mind and will by 
fj^ecial revelation, as he did to Ifrael; neither are wc to 
look for his miraculous interpolition in our favor, and the 
deftrudlion of our enemies, as he granted to Ifrael. But 
wc are to judge of God's mindand will, from a view of his 
moral charader, which is eternally the i^me ; and from 
parallel cafes, where God has declared expreflly or im- 
plicitly, his approbation of a nation's going to war for the 
defence of the rights and bleflings he has beftowed upon 
them. Now judging by this rule, I think it is a clear 
cafe, that God approves of the war in which we are nnvr 
•engaged for the defence of our jufl rights.-- I am far froai 
fuppofing it would be juft and right tor a nation to go co 
war for every infuk 6c injury that they might receive from 
another nation. No, to make a war juft and righteous, 
and have it approved by heaven, the injuries muH: be 
many and great, and long perfiftcd in ; they mufl be with- 
out any juft provocation, and the injured nation muft 
make all fuitablc exertions, amicably and peaceably, to 
obtain rcdrefs of their grievances. Now I believe in my 
heart, all this is true of our nation ; I have in my poftei- 
fion all the printed documents laid before Congrefs, of 
all the negociation for years, between our government and 
that of Great Britain, and cannot fee what could have bc^n 
faid or done more by negociation, to convince the enemy 
of their wrong, and prevail with them to ceafe their de- 
predations and opprcffions, and do us julticc. For years 
diplomatic language has been exhaulted, but in vain; 
hence the inference is clear as the fun in the firmamtnc 
of heaven, that the war in which our nation is engaged, is 

A JU^T AND A RIGHTEOUS WAR, AND THAT GOi^ 

APPROVES ITo 



16 

5. As we have evidence the war in which we are now 
^np-iged, is a jull and righteous v;ari a war which God 
approves, it is r.hc duty of ihe whole nation to unite in ie* 
It was the duty of all Ifrael to unite, and grant all their 
aid and help in the war sgainfl Jabin, their opprefibri 
every tribe, city, town, and family, belonging to the fame 
nation, were all bound together in the fame family corn- 
pad, were liable to the fame oppreflion from the enemy, 
and would reap mutual benefit in cafe of vidory; hence 
it was the duty of ail to come up to the help of the Lord; 
to the help of the Lord againft the mighty. And, my 
hearers, it is equally the duty of our whole nation, to 
unite and help in the war we are forced into, for the de- 
fence of our jud and violated rights. It is the duty of 
every (late, every city, every town, every family and per- 
fon in this nation, to unite all their wifdom, all their wealth, 
all their power, and all their energies, againfl the com- 
mon foe, v/ho has fo long and fo wantonly opprelTed us. 
We all belong to the fame nation j the dates are all con- 
federated and bound together in the mod folemn manner, 
under one and the fame conftitutionj we are a great body 
poiiricj and, as in the natural, fo in the political body, if 
ine member Juffer^ all the member sjuffer with it \ ur cnemem^ 
her he honored^ all the members rejoice with it. 

We have all been infulted, we have all been opprefied, 
we have all been injured, we have all felt the efFedts of the 
plunder and robbery of the enemy; it has increafed the 
price of mod foreign articles one third, which we all help 
confume; we are all hurt by the imprelTment of our poor 
feamen; we are all concerned in the injuries heaped upon 
our nation, and we (liall all be beneficted by compelling 
the enemy to ceafe her depredations, and make a jud and 
honorable peace with us. Hence it is the imperious du- 
ty of every fedion of the country, of every part of the 
nation, to unite againd our great and common enemy, 

6. I am led to obferve, that fomc part of Ifrael refufed 

their aid and help in the war againd Jabin, their cruel 

opprefibr, and the Lord was exceedingly difpleafcd with, 

\nd the angel of the Lord ordered them to be curfcd with 

a\>itter curfc. When it was determined to take up arras 



17 

tigainft Jabin, there was undoubtedly an exprefs fent to 
all the tribes, to every town and city, to come up to the 
help of the Lord and afford their aid, in fome way, againfi: 
the enemyi and we Ihould have fuppofed they would all 
have united as one man, to defend their violated rights, 
and obtain fatisfaftion for twenty years opprelTion. But 
this was not the cafe ; fome, it feems by the facred ac-^ 
count, turned out and offered their fervices willingly; 
they were true patriots. This was the cafe with the 
tribe of Zebulon and Napthali, and fome others. Ifrael 
was divided into tribes, much as our nation is into dates, 
& each tribe had a head or chief, called a govcrnorasour 
flares have. Some of thefe governors offered themfelvcs 
and their people willingly, to help in the war: fee the 
9th and 18th verfe of the context, — My hearty faid Deb- 
orah, is towards the goverfisrs §f Ifrael who offered themjelves. 
willingly among the 'people i hlejs ye the Lord. Zebulen and 
Napthali were a 'people that jeoparded their lives unto tha^ 
deaths in the high places of the field, Jffachar and Benja- 
min, arc celebrated as turning out and helping in this 
conteft, and fome from other tribes; but fome of the 
tribes and people would not help their brethren in this' 
war ; they (laid at home and \\ould nor go; fome of the 
governors v^ould not let the people go ; fome thoughr 
they had better tamely bear their fufferings than co wage 
war with fuch a powerful enemy ; they feared the nine 
hundred chariots of iron ; others thought the war would 
coft fo much, that they had better be flaves than engage 
in it; that probably they fiiould lofc their lives, or fome 
of the ir friends. They had loft their fpirit and former 
patriotifm, and were prepared to bear the yoke of tyran- 
ny; others (undoubtedly) had been favored by the ene- 
my, and perhaps had grown rich by trailicking with them- 
and fupplying their armies with provifion. Thofe of this 
clafs were, from thefe or fome other fordid motives, in 
fa^or of the enemy, and probably jullificd their horrid 
opprelfjon and cruelty in the land; fornc of them might 
Bavc intermarried with the enemy, and formed fpecial 
connexions, and were on terras of intimacy, and probably 
became worlhippcrs of their heathen Gods. Hence: the v 



15 

were utterly oppofed to the war; thev had rather their 
nation fhould be oppreffed twenty years longer than go 
to war. Such characters as thcie, were then, what in 
modern times are called torieSy enemies to their own 
country, and friends to t\\Q enemy, fuch, undoubtedly, 
were the inhabitants of Meroz, mentioned in our text. 

Now, the condud of all in Ifrael who withheld their 
aid, was difpleafing to God, but cfpecially the condud of 
Meroz; all who refufcd their help were rebuked, but 
Meroz was curfed ; fee the context. Fcr the diviftons of 
Reuben there ijoere great thoughts of heart. Why ahodeft 
ihou among the peep folds to hear the hleatings of the flock ? 
For the divifisns of Reuhen there was great Jearching of 
heart. Gilead abode beyond Jordan ; and why did Dan re- 
fnain in fhips f Afber continued on the fea Jhore, and abode 
in his breaches. Ail thefe v\ere cenfured for not joining 
in the war; but it feems their motives were not fo bad, 
and they were not fo criminal as the inhabicants of Me- 
roz ; fee the text : Curje ye Meroz ^ /aid the angel of the 
Lord, ciirfe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof \ becauje they 
came not to the help of the ILord, to the help sf the Lord a- 
gainji the mighty. Dr. Scott, in his noie upon this pafa- 
age, obfervtr.-., *^ That Meroz had been a fijurifhing cirv, 
but in confcqucnce of this curfe, it became fo obfcure that 
its fituation is at prcfent unknown. He obferves, the in- 
habitants of Mercz, though Ifraelites, feared the power, 
Rnd valued the friendiliip of the enemy more than they 
dreaded the power iand defircd the favor of God, and 
therefore were joined with the accurfed Canaanites.'* 

Now, my brechren, this condud in Ifrael exhibits a 
piflurc of the condu6c of our nation fince the declaration 
of war. When we take into view the length and mag» 
nirade of our iufFeriiig from Great Britain -, when we con- 
Hder cur independence, bought Vvith the bcfl: blood and 
treafure of our fathers, our eflcntial rights, and every 
thing we hold cL*,r in life, affailed and threatened to be 
torn from us ; when all pacific rreans failed, and our go- 
vernment, after fevcn months cool deliberation, refolved, 
28 tbe laft effort of an injured nation, to take up arms and 
defend our perfons, property, and violated rights, VvC 



19 

might have reafonably expedcd to have ieen the nation 
ri(e en majfe^ and unirc, as one m.-in, againft the common 
foe ; to lee patriotirm burn in every heart, as it did in 
'74j and run like lightning from Maine to Georgia, frain 
the Atlantic to the wefteni boundary of the nation, and to 
fee the ftates emulous which ihould be moft prompt in 
furnifhing their quota, and granting their aid in tjiis moft 
righteous war. But, alas! we niull tell the world we are 
a divided people, for the world knows itj like Ifrael of 
old, in like circumftances, many are averfe to the war, 
and come not to the help of the Lord againft the mighty^ 
Some of the governors withhold the people, arjd prevent 
their comiing to the help of the Lord, fo that whole ftates 
have widiheld thdir aid ; fome of rhe people withhold 
their aid from one motive, and (bme from aaother. Some 
are afraid of the great coft the war will be ; they had ra- 
ther the nation fhouid continue to bear all the oppreffions 
of the enemy than to be at the coft of a war; fome arc 
afraid of che thoufand iiiips of the enemy, and confjder it 
prcfumption to go to war widi fuch a gigantic power -, 
they feel we had better be ealy and pay tribute, and be 
plundered, and have a few thoufand of our feamen en- 
ilaved, and fome of them die under their [ufierings, than 
to encounter the ev:ls of a v/ar. 

Others there are who are boiom friends to the edemyj 
who worfhip the fame idol, monarchy, whi have been 
diftinguiftied by her favors, and enriched by her com- 
merce, and by fupplying her with provifions both law- 
fully and unlawfully. Thefe men are violent againft the 
warj they brand it with twtxy epithet ; they fay ic is un- 
]u\\y impolitic, a'ld wicked. Some of them juftify all the 
plunder, and rntjrder, and manfteaiing, and oppreffjon of 
tlic enemy, and fay wc cijght to bear ic wiihouc com- 
plsint, for England is fighcing for the liberties of the 
world. Men of ihis dclcription will give no aid them- 
fjlves to the war, and do all thev can to prevent others. 
They lejoicc in the defeats ot our own arms, and mourn 
at the defeat of rhe enemy. Now, I believe this conduct 
i? very oftcnfive to a holy God. I fully believe the con- 
dud of ail who vvichhold their aid and help in this ri^^hcc- 



20 

eus conteft, in which our nation is engaged, is repreHcn- 
fible. But thofc who are taking fides with the cnemyv 
palliating and jullifying all their injuries, heaped and 
heaped upon us, froni love of BritiOi gold, orloveofBri^ 
tiih monarchy, and hatred to our republican ff)rms of 
government, and will not come themfelvcs, and try to 
prevent others from coming up to the help of the Lord 
againft the mighty. I bciicvc in my heart fuch- men are 
tories, and obnoxious in the fight of heaven.. And was. 
there an infpired Deborah among u«5 fhe would undoubt- 
edly pronounce a bitter curfe upon them, as ihe did upon 
the inhabitants of Meroz. 

A curfe will follow fuch charaiflers. For look, my 
brethren, to the fate of the torics of our revolution. Like 
Cain, whom God had curfed, they wandered as exiles, and 
vagabonds in the earth, H^iunned and abhorred by every 
one i a curfe purfued them to the grave, if not further; 
and it ever will traitors and t cries. But as it was in- 
Ifrael, fo it is in our nation, when called to arms, many 
of the governors and people have offered themlelves willr 
ingly, yea, fome of the ftates have done nobly, and parti* 
cularly the people of Kentucky and Ohio, like Zebuioa 
and Napthaii, have jeoparded their lives unto the deaths 
in the high places of the field. Notwithfl:andingthe faint 
heartcdncfs of fome, and oppofition of others, yet the 
great body of the nation, of its real and phyfical flrengthj^ 
are true patriots, are hearty in the caufe, and are determ- 
ined to die free, before they will live flaves; many of 
them offer themlelves willingly, and are coming up to the 
help of the nation againft the mighty. 

7. I obierve once more. A nation that engages in a 
juft war, a war for the defence of their jull rights, which is 
a war that God approves, fuch a war he confiders as his 
Gwn caufe, and to help in fuch a v/ar is to come to the 
help of the Lord 5 and if the nation humble themfelvcs 
for their fin, and cry unto the Lord, he Vr^ill be with them, 
and grant them fuccels. He did Ifrael ; aixi 1 Irave no 
doubt he will our nation. The Lord v;.cnt out before the 
little army of Ifrael, when they marched againft the nine 
hundied chariots of war, and difcooifittcd the enemy. 



£1 

'And has not the Lord gone out before our little navy when 
^they have gone out to fight t\\t thoufand iliips of the ene- 
my ? And what exploits have they done ? What vidlories 
, have they atchieved, to the lailing honor of the nation, 
and the aftoniiliment of the world ? 

It is admirable what our few fhips of war have effected 
when they have come in contaft with the enemy. Two 
ofthtir largeft frigates have been funk, and another taken 
and brought into our ports. One floop of war has been 
funk, and feveral taken. In the mod of thefe afes the 
enemy were equal, in forr.e fuperior, yet they were 
dreadfully cut to pieces, their veflels made wrecks, and 
many of their men killed and wounded; while our veffels 
have received but little injury, and bur few men either 
killed or wounded. This cannot be accounted for upon 
any other principle than the fpecial intcrpoficion of heav- 
en. On the fca the enemy has opprefTed us for twenty 
years; there they have plundered our property; there 
they have enflaved our cicizens. From their (liips of war 
the cry of our poor feamsn (covered with biood and 
woundii) has gone up to heaven. The Lord has been 
wicnefs to their cruelty and oppreflTion on the ocean ; and 
there he has given us fuccefs. Great Britain, for twenty 
years, in all her wars, has never met with fo much on the 
fca to ftain her pride as flie has experienced from our few 
gallant ihips. Let the name of the Lord be praifed, wha 
giveth us the vidory. 

And our private armed fhips have met with great fuc- 
cefs. Niles* Rcgiller Hates, that we have taken from the 
enemy, fince the war, SGQ vedels, in about nine months. 
Surely many of our valiant feamen have caufe to exclaim 
with Dfborah, in the context, O mv/oulj thou hajl trodden 
dcwnjlrengih. 

But our fuccefs hitherto on the land has not been equal 
to that on the ocean. The failure of the North-weftern 
army, in thcoutfet, deranged tiie whole cariipaign on the 
frontiers, the lail feafon. By the governors* withholding 
the men, and many of the militia refufing to come up to 
the help of the Lord aginft the mighty, defeat and iol's at- 



tended our arms In Canada. But there our ti^bops always- 
fignalized thenifelvcs wheu led to a6lion. The enemy 
there have fulFercd about as maich as we have. Many of 
the Indian towns have been litid wafte, and many of the 
favagc barbarians have met the juft reward oftheir bloody 
deeds. It is cafy to account for the want of fuccefs on 
land. There has been want of men, of regular troops, 
want of difcipline and fubordination, if not want of fyf- 
tem. All thefe, I truft^ will be remedied the coming 
feafon, if the war continues, and the enemy will not liftea 
to overtures for peace. And I have no doubt of the fi- 
nal iffue; for I am fully convinced the war on our part is 
juft and righteous J that the Lord approves of it j that he 
v^ill be on our fid-c, and enable us to bring the enemy to 
juft and honorable terms of peace. 

But, my brethren and friends, we, as a nation, as a (late,,, 
as a town, as families and individuals, have a great duty 
to do. And this day calls upon us to enter upon it with 
all the heart. It is our duty to faft and pray, and hum- 
ble ourfcivcs before the great God. We fliould realize*^^ 
God's srcat goodnefs to us and our nation, and be thank- 
ful; wc fhouldtake into view the number, greatnefs, and 
aggravation of our fins, and be humbled before God, and 
repent i» in duft and afhes. Our fins are many, they 
have gone up over us as a thick cloud i they have reached 
heaven; they have provoked God to anger, and he has 
fuffcred our enemies to opprefs us, and bring war upon 
us^ to punifti us. We have caufe to adopt the language of 
Daniel, the prophet, and fay, ** Lord, we havejinned, 
and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly y and 
have rebelled^ even by departing from thy precepts ^ and frcrrt 
thy judgments, O Lord-, right coujsnejs belongeth unto thee ; 
and unto us confufton of faces, as at this day,, But to the 
Lord our God belong mercies and forgivennejs^ though we 
have rebelled againjl him. 

With humiliation, confefilon and repentance of our fin, 
v/e Ihould idd fervent prayer. If wc are a praying nation 
and people i if we pray in faith, and cry to God, he will 
hear and anfwer, and help us in this rime of war. Wc 
Ihould pray to God to turrr uSj, as a nation to himfelf, ai^d 



25 ™ 



blefsus. That he would blefs the Prclident ar. 
grefs, and give them wifdom, fidclicy and pat.. 
That he would unite the people, cement the confc 
tion, and dilpofe the rulers and people in each ftate r' 
their duty, and come up to the help of the Lord agait. 
the mighty. We would pray the Lord to give wifdom, 
valor and prudence to our commanders i healch and cou- 
rage to our foldicrs and mariners; Ihield them in the day 
of battle, and crown our arms by fea and land with fuc- 
cefs, until our enemies arc difpofed to make a iuft and 
honorable peace. We ftiould pray to God to flay the 
pcftilence, and give us health in all our borders. We 
lliould implore him to blefs the labors of the hufbandman, 
make the earth fruitful, and favor us with a plentiful har- 
vcft. We Ihould pray the Lord to pi« an end to defo- 
lating war, and blefs all nations with peace and righteous- 
nefs. O ! let us pray God to pour his fpirit upon us, and 
make us holy, and prepare us for all fufFerings upon earth, 
and the enjoytncnt of himfelfin heaven. 

O ! may the Lord hear our prayers, and fave our na- 
tion, and all the glory Ihall be given to the Father^ Sony 
and Holy Ghoft^ world without end. Am^n. 



|! 



